Phoenix Sworn
by Zarah Lorelight
Summary: Why can vampires stay in the sunlight? This story follows the story of a girl bitten by a rogue werewolf who finds herself immersed in affairs of the vampires. This story is NOT centered around any of the major characters from the series. R&R, please.
1. Prologue

_And upward call'd for a dumb cry_

_With moonbread orbs of wonder I_

_Beheld the immortal Bird on high_

_Glassing the great Sun in her eye._

_----_

The animal's fangs dug into the hollow between her neck and shoulder: she could feel the steady suction of her blood through the wound as the creature growled with rapture. She had stopped screaming long ago. The cold city air felt much colder than it did an hour ago and sent shivers throughout her body. The lamps in the dark park began to pulsate and thicken, spreading across her vision. The whole world--the trees, the grass, the buildings--seemed to constantly shift and blink. She couldn't speak: it hurt too much to use her throat. The girl whimpered as the creature continued its meal. Quietly, she rode through the steady waves of pain.

Then, suddenly, the beast released her, and she felt her blood dampen her hair and her coat. She watched the wolf howl at the new moon. Then the creature gazed down at her, piercing the girl with bright,golden eyes and licking the rest of her blood from its fangs. Its fur was a light grey, and its muscular body towered over the height of a normal dog, its head stood about five feet above the ground. She also noticed that it had two tails instead of one. _That's weird_, she thought as she lost consciousness.


	2. Visions

_O Blest unfabled Incense Tree,_

_That burns in glorious Araby,_

_With red scent chalicing the air,_

_Till earth-life grow Elysian there!_

-----

Sophie made her way towards the grand brick building, Laurence Hall, pulling her coat firmly around her to ward off the crisp winter air. She had lived in New Hampshire for four years now, but she still couldn't abide the cold. _At least the sun is shining_, she thought ruefully. As Sophie climbed up the familiar marble staircase to the large pair of oak doors, the building began to rumble underneath her feet as its large bell's clang resonated across the school's campus. Suddenly, the doors opened from the inside as large crowds of chattering students migrated towards their respected classes. Careful to avoid the ice at the top of the staircase, Sophie slowly weaved her way through the outgoing students.

"Sophie!"

A girl practically slammed into Sophie, enveloping her in a large hug. Her deep red hair was pulled back from her face to reveal large, golden hopped earrings. She pulled back, her green eyes searching Sophie's face emphatically. "So, you made it back!"

"Yeah. How have you been, Laura?"

"Can't complain. But, more importantly, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Laura didn't sound convinced, but she supported a smile for Sophie just the same. "Alright. Well, a bunch of us are going out for dinner or something tonight. Why don't you come along?"

"I'd like that."

"Great! I'll see you back at the dorm later--5ish." Laura waved to Sophie as she began to descend the stairs, and then seemed to suddenly remember something. "Sophie, wait!"

"Yeah?"

She came up next to her again, and spoke softly. "I saw you-know-who just now. Watch you're step in."

"Who's...?"

"Dan."

"Oh." A few weeks had passed since Laura and her boyfriend had set Sophie on a blind date with Dan. The date had seemed to go well, but Dan never contacted Sophie afterwards and gave Sophie the "I'm to busy" excuse whenever she gathered up the courage to ask him out again. So, eventually Sophie lost interest--although the rejection still stung her a bit.  
"Don't worry about it," Sophie finally managed, "I didn't really like him anyway--not my type."

"I am sorry that all happened. I didn't know that Dan was such good friends with Mike." Laura spat out her ex-boyfriend's name like it was a piece of the disgusting meatloaf served at the school dining halls. "You know, that was probably the reason."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking," Sophie replied, pleased that she didn't sound too forlorn about it.

"Well, screw him. Not literally, but, you know."

"Yeah," Sophie said with a small laugh.

Laura gazed at the building's large clock's face. "I better get to class for another thrilling adventure through Charlotte Bronte."

"You're _still_ reading _Jane Eyre_?"

"Yeah. It's a dense bitch."

"Mm. Well, good luck with that."

"Yep!" Laura piped as she carefully trudged down the marble steps.

Sophie smiled at her friend as she left. Talking with Laura always cheered her up: her friend was harsh and blunt, but at the same time confident and full of charm. Sophie sometimes felt jealous of Laura's personality--it seemed so vibrant compared to her own meek one. Sophie pushed her caramel-brown hair behind her ear, and her hand grazed the thick bandage covering the area where her neck meet her right shoulder.

The gray wolf's gold eyes flashed in her head. Sophie shook her head, as if the motion could erase the memory, and shuffled through the open doors into Laurence Hall.

She raced down the main corridor, passing oil paintings of previous school headmasters whose eyes seemed to scold her for being a few minutes late to her next class. She almost slid to the floor as she rounded a corner onto a lesser corridor. Her boots' skid seemed to echo throughout the small hallway. Finally, Sophie pushed open the classroom's door, panting.

"Ah, Miss Starr. How nice of you to finally join us."

"I'm sorry, professor--"

"Oh, don't worry so much. You're only a few minutes late...this time."

Sophie glanced up at the plastic clock on the wall, then looked back at her professor. "Oh." Usually the professor would still make a point of her being even a few minutes late, but she decided, despite Stuart Academy's reputation for its harsh faculty, a hospital stay was still grounds for a teacher to be lenient. She flopped down at one of the wooden chairs which stood next to the oval discussion table.

"Now. Who would like to be the first to present his or her thought on last night's reading assignment?"

-  
The old man sat by a small fire in the cave. The first winter snow had disappeared, but large icicles still hung from the mouth of the cavern's entrance like a row of gleaming teeth. A gust of wind rushed in and almost extinguished the fire. Sighing, the old man stood , picked up a thick blanket and began to fasten it to the roof of the cave.

"You wished to speak with me, Wise One?"

The Wise One peered around the side of the blanket, the wooden beads in his gray hair clattering together as he did so. His black eyes seemed to squint at the young man standing outside his home, as if the Wise One could not recognize him. Then, realizing who the man was, his eyes snapped back open. "Oh, yes. Come in, Teol."

Teol rolled his eyes as he followed the Wise One as the old man turned and went back into his cave.

They both approached the fire and sat down on two brightly colored cushions. Picking up a long pipe, the older man began to light it and exhale smoke. The smoke danced by the fire, taking on form and shape. There was a grove of trees, barren of leaves, underneath a night sky. A girl with long brown hair lay pale on the ground. Her sea blue eyes were wide with shock as a large gray wolf with two tails howled up at moon which wasn't there. The smoke depicted red blood running through the girls hair and staining the dead grass around her. Her eyes glazed over and then fell closed. Her blood moved across the grass, killing the leaves instantly. The gray wolf looked down at his prey and snarled gleefully, ready to take another bite of his prey. Then, as the wolf padded through her blood, it howled in pain and terror. Its skin turned dull, its muscles and skin withered, its eyes retreated back into his sockets, and its brilliant white teeth yellowed as the wolf's gums retreated. Soon, the creature withered into a pile of bones, then to dust as a cold breeze sweeps the beat's remains away into the night.

There was a pause. For a moment, the Wise One continued to exhale smoke from his pipe as the youth continued to stare at the small fire's leaping sparks. The young man's long blond hair reflected the light of the fire, and his brown eyes were worried. "But...master...what does it mean? Wasn't that--"

"Yes. And, what I have shown you, you must not reveal to any other soul...until the opportune moment, of course."

"Which is...?"

"Oh. You'll know. That's how these things work."

"Right." Teol sighed.

"This event will come to pass in a year, during the month of the Harvest Moon. There is more to this girl, however. I have been keeping an eye on her. Her Fire is brighter than any other I or my ancestors have seen--and, if this event does come to pass, she will soon be one of us." The old man placed his pipe down carefully and began to heave himself up. Teol rose and helped him up. The old man continued to walk down another passage, deeper into the cave. He looked over his shoulder at Teol. "come this way."

The pair walked town the passage way. Moisture clung to the rough walls, although the further down they went, the warmer it got. Also, Teol noticed a multitude of colored stones had been plastered into the wall. Soon, the colorful stones began to form a pictures. One the left was a man transforming into a wolf, and on the right his female counterpart was doing the same. A waving light from the rear of the passage flooded across the pictures and caused the two mirroring wolves' coats to glisten. The passage opened to a very large chamber full of water that seemed to glow with it's own light.

"The Pool of Light, yes." Said the Wise One, noting Teol's gaping mouth. "I've forgotten after all these years how much the first visit to this place takes one's breath away."

The Wise One approached the edge of the pool. Teol could see that the stones have been molded to form an edge around the pool depicting the history of his people--the werewolves. He watched the old man place an arm straight out across the edge of the water, palm down, and chant. A picture showed in the water. It was snowing, and the girl from the vision was sitting on a rock overlooking a wide river. She had a leash in her hand, but she had detached her golden retriever, who was happily rolling around in the snow behind her.

"You spy on her?"

"Ah, birds will do anything for a pretty bead or twig. Now, look hard. It's up to you to remember how she looks. And, I will not be able to bring you here again with me."

"Why not?" Teol asked, looking around the cavern again longingly.

"That is another story. But, suffice to say, you will be leaving the Coven for a time to look after this girl."

Teol remembered her blood and what it had done to the gray werewolf. "But...are you sure she isn't dangerous?"

"She is important, and maybe dangerous in the wrong hands, but not ours. Her power is very valuable and will ensure our survival under the vampires."

"Wait. When did vampires enter the picture?"

"Just now." The Wise one flipped his hand palm up and another image shown in the water--the same vision of the girls blood slowly flowing from her body. "Her blood, I warn you, has a very _particular _flavor. It will send both wereful and vampire into more of a frenzy than normal human blood does. Why, I canot say. However, I do know one thing. There was another prophecy made long ago:

_The Fire within_

_Will unite the children of the night_

_With the sun_

_Will give the children of the wolf_

_Their freedom from the moon_

So, that is why you will go to her school and keep an eye on her just in case. The vampires have their own ways of the Sight as well--they will likely target the girl too, if they haven't already."

"But, what reason would they want her? Isn't she going to become one of us?"

"Ah...the other reason why I want you at that school. Perhaps you can find out."

Teol went quiet for a second, his mind replaying the image of the gray wolf. "Master, that wolf...in the vision..."

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't we tell my father?"

"No. Not yet."


End file.
